Review
Vesper (Sci-Fi, Adventure) (2022)
Director: Kristina Buožytė, Bruno Samper
Writer: Kristina Buožytė, Bruno Samper, Brian Clark
Stars: Raffiella Chapman, Rosy McEwen, Richard Blake, Eddie Marsan
Due to countermeasures meant to ward off an ecological crisis, the Earth's ecosystem has been entirely lost. To survive, the rich and fortunate inhabit massive enclosed structures called Citadels whilst everyone else is left in the wastelands with limited access to food due to genetic experiments, making every seed only yield a single harvest.
Having previously worked together on projects like "Vanishing Waves", Kristina Buožytė and Bruno Samper present perhaps their most ambitious feature yet. This co-directed feature took years to develop, mainly filmed around Vilnius, Lithuania, with interiors shot in a studio. Debuting at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, it was produced by Natrix Natrix, Rumble Fish Productions, Anton Capital Entertainment, Ev.L Prod and 10.80 Films while distributed by different companies worldwide, including IFC Films (U.S.), Condor Entertainments (France) and Plaion Pictures (Germany).
As an ecological crisis loomed on the horizon, humanity tried to develop genetic technology to counteract the effects of the crisis. Their supposed solution leads to an outbreak of viruses and harmful bio-organisms escaping their labs and destroying massive portions of agriculture, killing humans and animals alike. Many years after this event, society is split into two groups: the wealthy in their massive contained ecosystems called Citadels, and everyone else left to fend for themselves in the barren wastelands outside. Such as Vesper, a young girl caring for her father who was paralyzed due to a past war, his consciousness partly contained in a drone travelling with and advising his daughter.
Using limited VFX, small-scale budget and spontaneous environments due to the elements, Buožytė and Samper provide a goulash of themes within an apocalyptic freedom that lends well to the written narrative, a mystique within a gross yet accessible fairytale.
Within a substantial world, instantly believed to reach much wider than the script allows. Such a contained nature remains throughout the film, whether it's secrets, the Citadels or otherwise. Inspiration seems drawn predominantly from "Alice in Wonderlands" and "Dune", especially if Buožytė and Samper ever manage to create a sequel. Ultimately, natural environments and bio-mechanical apocalyptic decay present the oddity and abstract nature of it all, even within the narrative, which makes "Dune" such an outstanding comparison.
Wandering through the murky forest, structures ravaged by a world's history and time, Vesper and the other cast feel at home. The village of Marsan's Jonas holds a similar despair as Craster's Keep from "Game of Thrones", although through different means. There's not a wealth of further elaboration towards lore, yet "Vesper" allows minor moments to enable the audience to peek within its grisly and horrid atmosphere despite our lead appearing ever curious and hopeful.
Truly this feature is a tremendous showcase of effort and skill, while lacking narrative depth in my opinion. Throughout, I felt distanced, not because of anything particular. Which surprised me; there’s definitely an audience which will adore ‘’Vesper’’ I’d go as far as it becoming a cult-classic in certain circles without being entirely convinced which audience it’ll be, the adult "Alice in Wonderland" fanatics perhaps, or the Tim Burton fanbase. Nevertheless, outlandish with grotesque visuals it dares to be different, which I can only applaud. Despite narrative slumps. I'd classify it as an adventure film, yet without providing much in terms of a story to follow along with… The narrative is the world itself, which does leave me interested in a sequel for some odd reason.
Verdict
A seed that provides a bountiful harvest.
7,7
